The present invention relates to an operation switch unit for a vehicle.
Generally, an operation switch unit for a vehicle (hereinafter, called a controller unit) is provided within a vehicle.
There is a controller unit shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 as such a controller unit.
The controller unit 71 includes a main case body 72 which one side surface is opened. A design plate 73 is attached to the opening portion on the one side of the main case body 72. Knob attachment holes 73a, 73b, 73c are formed at the design plate 73. Guide tubes 74, 75, 76 for rotating knobs are provided at a wall portion 72a on the other side of the main case body 72 so as to protrude forwardly and backwardly from the wall portion 72a. 
The rotation shafts 77a, 78a, 79a of the rotation knobs 77, 78, 79 are rotatably supported within the guide tubes 74 to 76, respectively. Pinions 77b, 79b are provided at the tip ends of the rotation shafts 77a, 79a, respectively. The rotation knobs 77 to 79 are disposed within the knob attachment holes 73a to 73c of the design plate 73.
Guide tubes 80, 81 having shaft centers located at different positions from the shaft centers of the tubular guide bodies 74, 76 are provided at the wall 72a so as to protrude forwardly and backwardly from the wall portion 72a, respectively. Bearing shafts 82a, 83a provided at the lower portions of cable operation members 82, 83 are inserted and passed within the guide tubes 80, 81 so as to be rotatable so that the cable operation members 82, 83 can swing.
Sector gear portions 82b, 83b rotatable around the bearing shafts 82a, 83a, respectively, are provided in recess shapes at portions opposing to the pinions 77b, 79b in the cable operation members 82, 83 in such a manner that the pinions 77b, 79b are engaged with the sector gear portions 82b, 83b, respectively. The cable operation members 82, 83 are provided with cable attachment portions 82c, 83c, respectively. Power transmission cables 84, 85 are attached to the cable attachment portions 82c, 83c, respectively.
When the rotation knobs 77 to 79 are rotated forwardly and reversely, the cable operation members 82, 83 are swung reciprocally in accordance with the forward and reverse rotation of the rotation knobs 77, 79, respectively, so that the power transmission cables 84, 85 move forward and backward and processing is performed by devices other than the controller unit 71 according to the forward and backward movement thereof.
A cam 82d for setting defogging of the window glass of a vehicle and a cam 82e for canceling an inner air circulation mode are formed at portions above the cable attachment portion 82c. 
A switch box 72b is integrally provided at the upper portion of the main case body 72. An operation button 72c for determining whether outside air is taken into the vehicle or not is provided at the forward portion of the switch box 72b. The operation button 72c is configured in such a manner that the backward movement state of the operation button is maintained when this button is pushed once and an circulation mode is changed in the inner air circulation mode. When the operation button is pushed again, this button moves forward and restored again and the circulation mode is changed in an external air circulation mode.
As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, in the switch box 72b, members 86, 87 are formed protrusively so as to be able to move forward and backward (upward and downward in drawing) with respect to the switch box 72b on moving loci of the cams 82d, 82e of the cable operation member 82, respectively.
When the cable operation member 82 reciprocally swings and the member 86 pushed by the cam 82d moves backward within the switch box 72b, the window glass of the vehicle is defogged. In the state where the operation button 72c maintains the backward movement sate (that is, the inner air circulation mode), when the cable operation member 82 reciprocally swings and the operated member 87 pushed by the cam 82e moves backward within the switch box 72b, the operation button 72c moves forward and restored again and the circulation mode is changed in the external air circulation mode.
However, in the cable operation member 82, the cams 82d, 82e are formed above the cable attachment portion 82c. Thus, the size of the cable operation member 82 becomes larger and the movable space of the cable operation member 82 at the time of swinging the cable operation member 82 becomes larger by a protruding size of the cams 82d, 82e. As a result, there arises a problem that the controller unit 71 at which the cable operation member 82 is attached becomes larger.
Accordingly, the invention has been made in view of the aforesaid conventional circumference, and an object of the invention is to provide an operation switch unit for a vehicle which can make the movable space of a cam smaller as compared with a case where the cam is provided at a portion outside of the outer frame of a cable operation member and can make the size of the operation switch unit for a vehicle smaller by a size of the movable space of the cam being made smaller.
In order to attain the aforesaid object, according to the present invention, there is provided an operation switch unit for a vehicle includes
an operation knob rotatable around a first rotation shaft center;
a first cam which rotates around the first rotation shaft center, and rotates in accordance with a rotation amount of the operation knob to operate an operated member;
a pinion which rotates around the first rotation shaft center and rotates in accordance with a rotation amount of the operation knob;
a cable operation member which reciprocally swings around a second rotation shaft center which is disposed at a position different from the first rotation shaft center; and
a sector gear which is provided at the cable operation member and meshes with the pinion, wherein
when the cable operation member is rotated around the second rotation shaft center, a circle drawn by a portion of the cable operation member most away from the second shaft center is supposed to be a virtual circle, and the first cam is disposed within the virtual circle.
In the above arrangement of the present invention, the operation switch unit for a vehicle may further include
a second cam which rotates around the first rotation shaft center, and rotates in accordance with a rotation amount of the operation knob to operate an operated member, and wherein the second cam is disposed within the virtual circle.
In the above arrangement of the present invention, the operated member operated by the first cam is a first switch for setting a defogging operation for a window glass of the vehicle, and the first cam is operated to turn on and off the first switch.
In the above arrangement of the present invention, the operated member operated by the second cam is a second switch for switching between an inner air circulation mode for circulating inner air within the vehicle and an external air introduction mode for taking external air within the vehicle, and the second cam switches the second switch in an inner air circulation mode setting state into the external air introduction mode.
Thus, according to the invention, the first cam and the pinion are rotated around the first rotation shaft center when the operation knob is rotated. When the operation knob is rotated by a predetermined rotation amount, the cam operates the operated member. Further, when the pinion is rotated, the cable operation member swings reciprocally. Since the first cam is disposed within the virtual circle, the movable space of the first cam can be made smaller as compared with the case where the first cam is provided at the outside of the outer frame of the cable operation member, for example.
Further, since the second cam is disposed within the virtual circle, the movable space of the second cam can be made smaller as compared with the case where the second cam is provided at the outside of the outer frame of the cable operation member, for example.
Further, the first cam is operated to turn on and off the first switch, and hence the defogging setting operation of the window glass of a vehicle can he performed.
Further, the second cam can switch the second switch in the inner air circulation mode setting state into the external air introduction mode.